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Collegium Arcane
A project to increase and catalog magical knowledge on the order of the Warp Drive Project's influence on technology. It is considered a necessity as the Breakout is a certainty. The Collegium Arcane is headquartered on Lochdu across the Loch from Ravensglen, located near Dufftown, Scotland. the Collegium Arcane partners with the Corps of Discovery to provide magicians to the various ships of the fleet. Persons Milton Fellion: Human male Earth Native A short, jolly man. He started out to pursue immortality, after his mother died. He feels like he should have been able to help. as a pre-med student in England, he discovered the existence of magic and wound up joining a cabal of secret mages based in Switzerland (The real Gnomes of Zurich have nothing to do with Banking). Eventually they got into it with Mi-13 and Milton switched sides. He strongly feels that Magic should be open. He is a well adjusted hedonist. Milton is the chief of the project, Milton leans on Mi-13 to do background checking and investigation of new folks. Until they're vetted, they're on field duty, doing the boring work of pouring through books and old historical records for clues - also, newbies help investigate other newbies. Once they get a clean bill of health, then they get promoted to their real jobs, researching magic and making the results of their research available. Helen Casilolopus Human female 17th level magician. Greyhawke Native She is the former Head of the Arcanium of Abba City (magic school). , but quit in disgust after a particularly nasty bout of office politics. Her adventuring career left her with little taste for the political life. She'd prefer not to be an administrator again, but will if she can't hornswaggle someone else into it. She might steal someone from her old Magic School to come and take the position - it's going to be a lot of learning and administration. Laurence Corman: Human male Earth native: A cranky scholar type, more of a historian than a physicist in approach. He was independently mentored, his mentor has since passed on. Laurence just wants to know more. He's been part of other independent research groups digging into the hows and whys of magic. Lawrence is the head thaumatologist, setting up the magical labs and training through Ravensglen. Laurence doesn't care who you used to be - so long as your work is precise, detailed, accurate and open. And you MUST respect ancient tomes, not just for their power but for their historical significance. Each book and artifact has its own history and he means to find and preserve that, too. Fùqīn Ho: Human male, Earth native: A Shou Lin Master of great experience. The Magical Antelopes managed to tease him out of the mountains, no easy task. He is a learned man in the Chinese methods and an exacting questioner of other methods. Fùqīn Ho is conservative and careful. He believes in much study before taking an action you are not familiar with. He is willing to accept the expertise of those familiar with what he is not familiar with. Simon Goldberg: Human male Earth native: An expert on the traditions of Cabala. Abba Goildberg has joined the team to help integrate knowledge of his craft and practice. Goldberg is a witty, self deprecating man, and if he pegs you as a fool, he is even more you depreciating, only without the humor. He is also a practicing Enlightened Rabbi. Lee Heo: Human male Earth native A Chinese man, learned magic from a hidden master in the mountains. Heo was on the run after a brush with the law. Heo was lackey and agent of his hidden master, and learned the arts of magic. One day his master disappeared without a word or a trace. Heo began to investigate the world of magic, looking for clues. The ancient language his master taught him was draconic, which was a clue. Like Milton, he feels Magic belongs to everyone, not just a hidden few. Heo was an informal freelance investigator and problem solver until China collapsed. Lee Heo is the chief investigator, setting up teams to go dig into magical knowledge from the hidden corners of the world. He has gotten a huge boost with the addition of the Watchers. Heo likes teams of two or three investigators, no more than five. he likes to one to be a mage, and one to be an investigator - and he wants everyone to be able to recognize trouble and be somewhere else before it comes down. He cheerfully recruits from freelancers and Bureau 13 agents anywhere he can get them, he doesn't care what you did before, so long as it wasn't initiating violence. Magilan: Ane Female, Earth native An Ane fascinated by magic. Magilan is a 200 year old Ane magician, known masters of the subtle. She is the head of the "Magic as Physics" dept. She's going to take magic apart brick by brick and find out what makes it tick. Current task - mapping magic and finding out just what it IS. then she can begin to describe it more closely and poke into the inner workings. Mes-en-Horus: AKA Fakhr Bin Sabih Pharonic magician that has come out of the cold and joined the project. Certain parties in Egypt are freaking over this, and we do not mean his fellow magicians. Mes-en-Horus (Born of Horus) brings valuable knowledge of the ancient paths of magic and valuable books as well. Mark Zeloplous United States Department of Super Heroes operative and natural mage. Mark is a magician of the Greek tradition. He is still teasing out exactly what that means. Mark is the second verifiable decedent of an ancient god, Zeus in this case. It is where his natural talent comes from. When he is not bashing baddies he is a research fellow at the UCLA Magic Department. Partners The Ancient Order of Pharonic Magicians -- This ancient order based on the magics of ancient Egypt has hidden since Christianity displaced the Pharonic religion in Egypt and was displaced in turn by Islam. They are the oldest continuous Human magical tradition known. They are slow to come out of their shell. Gladly they have preserved a great deal of knowledge, their own and that of the Greeks brought in with the Ptolemys. Blackmane Acadmey -- K-12 School in the United States. The first known primary school with a magic aware curriculum. Not the first such school, but the first people are generally aware of. The Cabala -- Hebrew magical tradition is coming gradually out of the woodwork. This is not an organization so much as loosely connected practitioners. Some of which have joined the Collegium and informed their fellows. Craft Circles -- Like the Cabalaists the practitioners of earth magic, commonly called "craft" do not have an over-arching organization, they are practically anti-organization as being pinned down as a "witch" used to get you burned at the stake, at the least ostracized, even until today. The Collegium does have contacts within this community and we are getting the word out and slowly, cautiously, they are making themselves known. Lich Community -- Undead practicing magic. Apparently there are some decent sorts in the no longer living but still moving category. Basha, late of the condition, has been sending feelers into this community. Far more than we thought could exist. (Bureau 13 Note:' Unless you hunt them down, they don't go away. Problems get eliminated, those that are not problems accumulate.) Magical Antelopes -- Yes Ane magicians. Their tradition is highly rational, very subtle, and ancient beyond words. They practiced long before the taint and know how to get around it. Their tradition has never been disrupted by crazy religious freaks every couple of generations, they have no books to burn. But you have to ASK! Merton College -- Of the colleges at Oxford Merton is one of the oldest having been founded in 1205. What isn't publicly known is that Merton is also the college of magics at Oxford. There are rumored gates to the half world built into the older structures. Among those with reason to know it is said that there is an entire library and hall hidden on the half world. Mystkonic University -- Ancient and some what tainted university with a deep magical history. The Protective Order of Magi -- Greyhawken import. A magic school with an ancient history and religious overtones. They don't let the religion get in the way of teaching, teaching is the point of the religion. They have a highly ethical approach to magical teaching. Necessary in these troubled times. Ravensglen -- Secondary Boarding School in Scotland. The Collegium campus is located across the Loc from Ravenssglen. Salem Academy -- Secondary prep school in the United States. The American equivalent of Ravensglen. Shao Lin Temple -- The Shao Lin are Buddhist monks who use Kung Fu to hone their bodies and minds - they are effectively Earth's Answer to Jedi. But they are withdrawn and detached - they don't let the insanity of modern politics disturb their enlightenment, they know, this too shall pass. Their word for the force is the "Chi" In ancient times, the legend has it, they sent scouts to the four corners of the world to learn how people fought everywhere, and then brought that knowledge home and synthesized it into the most perfect Martial Art, Shao Lin Kung Fu. When threatened by an evil emperor they recruited agents and taught them these fierce martial arts, so that these agents and knights could do what the Monks were reluctant to do, get involved. The Monks are very involved in stabilizing and supporting their area of China. They have been reluctant to come forth into the world in general, again they don't want their zen harshed. Magical Antelopes are working on it. Stanford University -- First University in the US to have a public magic program. the first mainstream school to admit that magic is a viable and real field of study. The presence of Dr. James Smythe had something to do with that. University of California -- The first public University with a magic program. They have Greyhawken teachers. They are also the leader is healing magic with Julian teaching the art. The Watchers -- This ancient investigative organization has offered to be part of the Collegium Arcane. The offer was accepted. They bring centuries of field experience in finding and dealing with magic and psionics. The Warp Drive Project -- The Colegium's technological counterpart is willing to help when and where possible. Things we are Looking for African Traditions -- As separate from the Pharolic tradition. Africa is a big place. There are at least six threads being tracked down. Local superstition, frauds, and religion are making this hard. The colonial powers were rough on anyone that did not conform, Amerindian Traditions -- Not the Shamans, but the arcane and earth types, admitting that the shamanic traditions do incorporate these as well. From legends they exist and there are fragmentary descriptions of dozens of variations covering both Americas. Religion, conquest, disease, and time are the foes. Arabic Traditions -- Jinn, magic lamps, rugs the works. As of yet no firm contacts have been made with this tradition, admittedly stomped very flat by Islamic clerics. It has connections and a line of decent from the Pharolic tradition as does the Caballa. Chinese Traditions -- Outside of the Shao Lin Buddhist tradition. Chinese literature is full of powerful wizards with mystic abilities, connections to Dragons, and the ability to control the spirit world. One of these has already turned up as a problem. Megalomania is apparently an issue as well. For once religion is our friend. The Maoist era is not. We know that they exist, but they remain firmly out of sight. Literature sources confirm this. Most magicians are hidden by nature. Indian Schools of Magic: India has dozens of magic schools, each centered around a Guru (mage) who ascended into some sort of divine state. The British and Mi-13 back in the 1800s just stomped these flat whenever they could find them driving them underground. Islamic Clerics, would also hunt Indian-hindu magic schools or anything they thought was magic and its practitioners relentlessly (Makes the riots and violence between Hindus and Muslims make more sense, sadly) The result is that the Gurus play dumb in front of the media and debunkers to protect themselves. It is better to be marked as a fake than pinned down as the real thing. Hopefully this will change. The Magicians of Mu The frustrating fragmentary magicians of the South West Pacific and South East Asia. Some of their work was clearly psionic, but there was arcane magic as well. The Polynesians have magical traditions, but the threads are thin. European Missionaries brought Hell and disease. WWII did untold damage to the people of the Pacific and their traditions. The threads of Mu are damaged perhaps beyond recovery. erased by time and tide. There might be some traces in Asian magic, both is there enough to extract the older tradition? An investigation of Nal Madol is in order. Persian Traditions -- Closer to the Indian traditions than the Pharolic. Again religion has driven this away or deeply underground. Investigation is indicating that the Kurdish people know, if anyone does. Resources Publications *'Journal of the Collegium Arcane' Currently a quarterly review for the magician. Getting submissions is a bit difficult. To begin with it is going to be written by the staff. Starry Windchilde's article on the male tantric replacement item was enough to make Mothers Against Everything wake up screaming. *'Magical American' A bi monthly Magic for the dilettante. A smart person's magazine "Scientific American", a serious, but written for the book magician and the magically interested general public. You need a certain level of education just to get it. *'Popular Magician' Monthly Gee wizz magic for the general public. A news magazine format that tells of the things magic can do and what is being done. No technical date is in it. Reading Popular Magician will not make you a magician. An equivalent to Popular Science. *'The Merton Semi-Annual Paper' Oxford University's magical review. At one point very hush hush. It is now available to Collegium members. *'Myskatonic Yearly Review' This publication has always circulated among the Alumni of the School of Old Studies. It is being made available to the members of the Collegium. Books *'''''The Discipline of Manna, The Study, Practice, and Teaching; An Ethical Approach to the Practice of Magic -- Source: The Protective Order of Magi The benchmark of elementary magic texts. A must for the student and teacher alike. Contains cantrips and commonly known spells of 1st level. The basic book studied at the Temple. *''Manna for the Adept'' -- Source: The Protective Order of Magi A guide for magicians on their way to the mastery of magic. Should be in every journeymen's and adept's library. *''Manna Esoterica'' -- Source: The Protective Order of Magi Legend has it that a low level magician can not even open this tome, those that know are not talking. The capstone in Eecreeana's three book series for the magician. *''The Five Sources of Manna; Their Polarities and Inter-Reactions'' -- Source: The Protective Order of Magi , A very scholarly tome, useless to the dabbler as it has never been translated from the Arcane. A must when trying to translate spells of another system. *''The Big Black Book'' -- Source: Conner Blackmane The book details in two volumes the demons, creatures such as vampires, werewolves, zombies. and fay creatures that could be encountered. Complete details,and methods for dealing with them, be that talk, control, or dismissal. It also covers the Half world and other close by planes. It is mostly a case of Jayne's Guide to Extra-Normal Fauna corrected for errors, updated with the Greyhawke information, and the weird drug dreams removed. *''Stis Mystikistikí̱ Dynámeis (On Mystical Forces)'' -- Source: Unknown The book was recently found on Professor James Smythe's desk. After he was once again capable of speaking English he said it was a lost book, reputedly burned in the Alexandrian library in 642. The volume is currently being gone over with the fine toothed comb to make sure it isn't a trap. However from the preliminary study the knowledge within is a treasure beyond price of Greek tradition magic. *''Seba Seshem (Star Guide)'' -- Source Ancient Egyptian magical book The basic text of ancient Pharonic magic. The bible of the Egyptian magician of old and the source book from which the Book of Blessings was derived. *''Atharvaveda'' -- Source Hindu Vedaic scripture. Incantations against enemies, sorcerers, diseases and for atonement of mistakes made during the sacrificial ritual, as well as hymns dealing with household and royal rites, and in the speculative books (8-12) some spiritual content. A rereading of this Scripture in the spirit of the Enlightenment is proving that there is magic in the words, if one knows what to look for. Other Groups Things we are aware of but not partners with, nor rivals of. Sometimes due to impractical things like it being on Greyhawke or an alien worlkd with limited contact. Arcanium of Abba City *'Location:' Abba City, Eyrian Empire Helen Casilolopus' Alma Mater. This is a school on the order of Mystkonic University, but concentrating solely on magic. We are not certain of the reception we might get as she left under a cloud of controversy. Kentari Magicians *'Location:' Kentauri, various We know they have them they are a respected profession. There has not been a lot of contact. We understand* that the largest part of Kentauri magic is Earth magic with a handful of arcane magicians and divine magicians. Magic is very tied in with sex and love. To the point the average Puritan would suck their britches clean out of sight. The heavy Earth-based element means we will not be seeing many of them here. Pellander Collegium *''Location:'' Seahaven, Eyrian Empire The theology and magic school in Seahaven. They are well known for their two continuing works, each published once a decade. Angels, Devas, and Devils. A Comprehensive Listing With Advice on the Forms of Summoning and Control or Supplication. and The Powers Divine: A Catalog of the Powers Greater and Lesser, Listing All Known Divine Beings, As Well as Their Provinces and Spheres. Neither book is considered useful off of Greyhawke. The school was founded in 1680 IC with the avowed purpose to improve the knowledge of the average magician and priest. The school is ecumenical and does not discuss the merits of a given god or religion over another. They are merely concerned with the facts of the theology. The decennial publication of their two books is the main work of the school. Teaching magic is not their business. It is a research facility. They will accept any priest or magician that meets their exacting qualifications of scholarship, and isn't in the habit of sacrificing the neighbors pets or children. That gets you talked about. Priests of Gol *''Location:'' Gol, Vulcan While they are called priests we are told their practice is closer to arcane magicians. Vulcan has magic and that magic also has a taint. In the case of Vulcan that taint is Violence. It was bad enough that the Surakians turned away from the practice of magic to save themselves. It is the purpose of the Priests of Gol to chant the violence out of magic. For that reason they isolate themselves and turn inward. It takes great discipline and a rigorous adherence to Kolinahr to deal with magic as closely as they do and not become a violent loon. It is their hope that in another 500 years they will succeed. Vicharrian Jedi *''Location:'' Vich Ar, exact unknown. We are aware of them, not much more can be said. Favel has some contact in that direction. We have been told that Jedi have a reputation as the pure heroes from the shadow. Like the Lone Ranger they come, fix things, and leave. All with dash and verve of course. ---- *''"We understand", "we have been told", etc.'' Hearsay. Worth what hearsay is worth. Category:Supernatural Category:Education Category:CA Category:Advocate